PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin often points to this time of year and the significant games the Steelers historically face as the reason he wanted — and was willing to wait for — Aaron Rodgers.

For his part, Rodgers has said he wanted to join the Steelers to play in significant games at this time of year again, something he did frequently with the Green Bay Packers but not his past two seasons with the New York Jets.

At age 42, Rodgers is getting his wish. And, with back-to-back victories and a division title in their control, the Steelers are getting what they anticipated.

Rodgers delivered another cold-weather gem Monday night in a 28-15 victory against the Miami Dolphins that sets the stage for the Steelers to enter the final three games of the regular season without having to look around and worry about getting help from another team.

“These are two huge games,” Rodgers said after the Steelers won back-to-back games for the first time since early October. “Obviously, division games are the most important games. ... Winning your AFC games are really important. Keeping the one-game lead plus the head-to-head is big, as well.”

In the past two weeks, the Steelers (8-6) have beaten teams that had won five of their previous six games, which has put them in a favorable position for the postseason. They cannot clinch anything Sunday, even if they beat the Detroit Lions (8-6) and the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) lose at home to the New England Patriots (11-3).

But the back-to-back victories mean the Steelers can lose their next two games and, even if the Ravens win their next two, they will still win the division as long as they beat the Ravens in the season finale.

“You got to stack them like hotcakes,” defensive end Cam Heyward said. “In this game, it’s very precious to get a win. We don’t take them for granted.”

And they don’t take their quarterback — a former four-time league MVP — for granted, either.

“It’s just value — value that you can measure, value that you can’t measure — in having a guy that’s been there and done that,” Tomlin said on Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “It benefits him, benefits us. I think it raises the tide for the collective.

“There are countless examples of benefits of having a guy with his level of experience, the quality of that experience, particularly this time of year.”

Rodgers showed why he is one of the best cold-weather quarterbacks in history by completing 23 of 27 passes and two touchdowns against the Dolphins on a night when the temperature was 17 degrees at kickoff. It was his highest completion percentage (85.1%) in 11 years and his highest passer rating (125.9) since the season opener against the Jets (136.7).

At one point, Rodgers completed 12 passes in a row for 108 yards when the Steelers scored three of their four consecutive touchdowns to make it 21-7.

He was excited to hook up with his former Packers teammate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, for a 19-yard touchdown and was almost giddy about his 28-yard catch-and-run touchdown to DK Metcalf, calling it “one of the better plays I’ve seen in my 21 years.” Metcalf stiff armed his way through the middle of the field, beginning when he tossed aside former Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“When he plays mad like that, you better get out of his way,” Heyward said.

Rodgers said the “greatest catch and run I’ve ever seen” came in 2009, when former Packers receiver Donald Driver broke multiple tackles on a 61-yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers.

In his past two games, Rodgers has completed 46 of 61 passes (75.4%) for 508 yards and three touchdowns. He hasn’t thrown an interception in the past four games and six of the past seven.

What’s impressive is his numbers don’t fall off this time of year. He averages slightly more than two touchdowns in games when the temperature is below freezing in his career. He might get two more opportunities to prove it when the Steelers play in Cleveland on Dec. 28 and are back home for the regular season finale against the Ravens.

“I’m a California kid, but I always enjoyed playing in the cold weather,” Rodgers said. “I feel like there can be some advantages to the offense, especially when you're playing on a field that's a little beat up or super slick like Green Bay became over the years. So I've always enjoyed that.

“I'm gifted with hands that can handle a cold ball, a ball that's a little slick when the weather gets cold like that. I’ve always been able to throw pretty good.”

Rodgers will not have to worry about that against the Lions, a team against whom he has had great success, even at Ford Field.

He has a lifetime record of 18-8 and averages 252 yards passing and two touchdowns per game against his former division rival. What’s more, he is 7-4 in Ford Field in games in which he started and finished, throwing 26 touchdowns and six interceptions in those 11 games.

“I think he's the best quarterback to ever play this game," said Valdes-Scantling, who spent four seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay. “I don’t care if he’s 65 years old or not — he can still spin the ball and he's always playing chess with the defense.”

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